A Story
by Britta Gelund
Summary: Daniel falls in love. DanielOther. Minor Teal'cJanet. I rated it T, because future chapters may be T. Chapter 12 now up! Please R&R. Determined to finally finish this story.
1. Chapter 1

Part 1

As he walked down the long hallway, Doctor Daniel Jackson was completely consumed in his own thoughts. For days, he had been trying to translate the tablets that SG-16 had brought back from P4X-650 only a few days earlier. It had not been as easy as he had initially thought, but at least now, he saw the light at the end of the tunnel. Now he was headed for the archives at sublevel 24, where he hoped to find just the last piece of information, so he could finally finish this pesky translation.  
Now as he was rounding the corner, just a few doors down from the archives, he found himself sprawled on his back on the floor. "I have got to learn to watch where I am going," Daniel thought to himself as he slowly opened his eyes. When he opened his eyes and got his glasses pushed back on his nose, he was staring into the eyes of the most beautiful creature he had ever seen before. Deep blue eyes, long blonde hair pulled together in a ponytail, and the reddest natural lips a person can only dream about. She was wearing a white lab coat and with the light falling just right behind her she looked just like an angel. "I surely must have died and gone to heaven," was his immediate thought, but as soon as he had thought it, he could not contain the sudden blushing of his face. He then again closed his eyes, and hoped that it all was just a bad dream, and that he had not just embarrassed himself. "Doctor Jackson? Are you okay? I have to learn to watch where I am going. I am so sorry!" the young blonde scientist was rambling as she reached out to give Jackson a hand to help him off the floor.  
"No worries, it was entirely my fault," Jackson said after getting back on his feet. He was now bending over to help the captain picking up the stack of file folders that now was strewn across the hallway. "Thank you, Sir!" she said as she took the folders handed to her by Jackson. A strange feeling, like electricity, was running through Jackson as their hands slightly touched. She gave him a small smile as she turned and hurriedly walked away.  
"What a cutie!" she silently thought.  
The incident far from forgotten, Jackson walked to the archives and continued on with his workday.

Back in his office, and finished with the translation, Jackson now just sat at his desk, again consumed in his own thoughts. "You ready?" Major Carter said as she knocked gently on the open door to the office. "Huh?" the doctor said. "Are you ready, Daniel?" she repeated. "What? For what?" Jackson fidgeted with a few papers on the desk, trying to recall what exactly it was he was supposed to be ready for. "Um… Lunch! Team! Commissary! Forget?" Carter said with a slight smile. "Oh, yeah, oh," Jackson said "Sure, yeah, I am coming." Jackson got up, and along with Carter, he headed for the commissary. "What is wrong with me? It is not as if I haven't ever met a beautiful woman before. Then why can't I stop thinking about her. Come on, Jackson; get her out of your head. She is probably taken already, and if not, why would she want a geeky scientist?" Jackson thought as they walked along the corridors of the SGC. Although he was trying to make himself stop thinking about the blonde woman he had bumped into earlier in the day, he just could not keep his mind off her. "…that was pretty ridiculous, wouldn't you say so, Daniel? Daniel, are you with me? Daniel, where did you go?" Carter said as she stopped and turned a full one-eighty looking for her friend who she seemed to have lost. As she turned, she saw that Jackson had suddenly, for no apparent reason, stopped walking. He was standing there, arms crossed with one hand on his chin, staring at the floor. "Huh? Oh sorry Sam, just thinking." Jackson said as he walked briskly to catch up with his teammate. "What's got you so wrapped up in thoughts today? Anything I can do to help?" she asked. "No, no it is nothing." Jackson said as they continued their walk. No way was he going to admit that he had a school boys crush on a woman he had only just met. In addition, no one could really call that a meeting anyway.

At the commissary, their team members, Colonel O'Neill and Teal'c, met them and they sat down to eat their lunch. The team had made a habit of meeting for lunch several times per week, for no other reason than just hanging out. They were so much more than just a team, and through the years, they have come to respect and honor each other just like a family. No other SG team had such closeness, and from time to time SG-1 had experience a slight jealousy from other teams. It never did bother the members of SG-1 though. They were all content with their close friendship with the other team members. None of them really had anyone else. Both Carter and Jackson were too busy with work that they have never really had time for a personal life. Teal'c had left his family behind on Chulak to help SG-1 fight to free the Jaffa from slavery. And O'Neill haven't had a personal life since he had lost his son to a fatal accident before going to Chulak the first time, and then only came home to find that his wife had left him. Now they all relied on each other, as only friends and family can.

Today, they were enjoying their lunch while talking about future missions, and trying to think of things they could do together this coming weekend. It had been a couple of especially grueling weeks and they had been promised three days of downtime, starting Friday at 1600 hours. They were to report for duty Tuesday morning.  
Jackson was again lost in thought and could not really get into the conversation, which caused the rest of the team to worriedly glance at their friend from time to time throughout their meal. It was not as if they did not know that when Jackson was thinking about work he would go to a far away place inside his own brain. However, for some reason this time it was different. No one could put a finger on it, but it was different. Jackson had barely touched his food, and he just sat there staring at nothing, somewhere on the wall behind O'Neill and Teal'c. They all knew that there would be no point in dragging Jackson back to reality, so they just let him sit until he would pull out of it by himself. The three teammates had all agreed that a camping slash fishing trip was what they all needed, so they were now just finishing up with their last decisions to be made. Who to bring what, and where exactly they were going. They knew that Jackson had not heard one word of the conversation, although he did let out small grunts of agreement. "We will fill you in later, Daniel." O'Neill said as he gave the doctor a curious look. "Huh? Oh sure, okay," Jackson said, not really knowing what had been said. Just then, she, the very attractive scientist, walked through the door to the commissary. Jackson dropped his fork on to his plate with a very large clang, and his face immediately turned a crimson red. His friends followed his gaze and located who Jackson was looking at. O'Neill looked at Jackson, then at the scientist, then back at Jackson. "Hmmm…" O'Neill said with a small smile as they all returned to stare at the young woman. She was standing by the bulletin board, and was in the process of hanging up a small note. "Hmmm…" O'Neill said again as he turned around to look at his friends. "Pretty. Don't you think so, Daniel?" he said with a sly grin on his face. "Yes, she is. I mean... what? Ummm… I really didn't look." Daniel answered with a stutter, feeling his face become hot again. His friends were all looking at him with knowing smiles. Then quickly they all got back to their conversation about the upcoming camping trip. All knowing not to pressure the very shy archeologist. Jackson again back in his own thoughts. "What is going on with me? Sure, I have had crushes before, but this is somehow different. I have never even felt like this before. It is not like I have had a lot of crushes, maybe it is just because I am older that it feels different…" his thoughts trailed off as his eye caught the small piece of paper on the bulletin board. "I will have to check that out later. No need to give the gang any more material for jokes right now." Jackson smiled as he started getting back to reality. And when he finally looked around at the faces of his teammates, he realized that they were all looking at him. "What?" he asked with a whine and curious look on his face. "Nothing!" they all answered in unison as they each scurried to clean up the table and take their trays to the nearby trashcan. As Jackson walked his tray to the bin, he passed the table now occupied by the stunning young woman. He had not even realized where she had gone, until he suddenly heard her familiar voice. "Doctor." she said with a slight nod of her head. Jackson was so surprised that he only managed to mutter a nearly inaudible "Doctor!" before he hurriedly disposed of his tray and met up with his friends at the door. All of whom greeted him with knowing smiles.

Doctor Jessica Swenson was having lunch with a couple of her colleagues, whom were now all giving her curious looks. There had never been a woman in the history of the SGC who had not had thoughts about the handsome Doctor Jackson. However, they had all concluded that he was a lost cause as he was clearly either gay or married to his job. Today was the beginning of Swenson's second week at the SGC, and although she was assigned to Doctor Jackson's department, today was the first time she had actually met the famed doctor. She had of course heard many stories during her first week, but she had dismissed the stories, as no one person could be as wonderful as her colleagues had described him. Yet she had not been able to get her mind off him since her meeting him in the hallway early in the morning. She had only come in to hang a note on the bulletin board, but decided to accept an invitation to join her new friends for lunch. She had not noticed the doctor until after she was seated at the table and started listening to her friends talk about the handsome man. She had turned around and noticed the doctor seated at a table only a few yards away. Her heart had immediately done a little jump, and she was sure she had blushed. When the doctor walked past her to leave, it took all she had to get one word out. He had mumbled something back, but it was so low that she could not make out what he had said. She felt a little tinge in her heart when she had realized that he did not even know she existed. "Forget about him Jess, you have a career to take care of. Just forget him!" she thought as she got her tray ready to leave the commissary to go back to the lab. 


	2. Chapter 2

Part 2

A few hours after leaving the commissary to return to his office, Doctor Jackson was back in the commissary. He could not control his curiosity about the note the woman had hung on the bulletin board. Now he was standing here looking around the board to locate the note in question. "Here we go," he thought as he finally found the note.

Room needed ASAP Max. $600 included utilities.  
555-9854 Ask for Jess

Jackson grabbed the note off the board and headed back to his office. A couple of years ago he had finally moved out of his apartment and bought a house. Since then he had always rented out at least one of the spare bedrooms. Mostly to young aspiring doctors joining his department. Usually his tenants did not stay long, just long enough to get settled at work, while looking for their own place. Because of the translation he had been working on, he had completely forgotten to welcome his new personnel. In the last couple of weeks, three new people had joined his department, and he had no clue what either of them looked like. All he knew was their names, education, their resume. Jackson decided that now was as good a time as ever to introduce himself to his new people. He called up the lab and asked for Doctor Swenson. "This is Doctor Jackson. Please join me in my office," he said as soon as she got on the phone. "Yes, Sir," was her reply. "Thank you," Jackson said as he quickly hung up his phone. When he had decided to invite her to his office, it had seemed very normal to him, as he always does that with new personnel, but now his stomach was in knots and he couldn't sit still. He got up and paced the office, until he heard a faint knock on his door. "Enter!" Jackson said, "Please sit." Realizing he may have sounded a little grumpy, he quickly added a smile. He went to sit in his own chair. "So Doctor Swenson, how do you like the SGC?" he asked her. "I find it to be a wonderful place to work. Thank for allowing me to come here, Sir." "Please call me Daniel," he said with a smile. "I saw, in the commissary, that you are looking for a place to stay. I have a couple of spare rooms I rent to new people coming to the Mountain. At least 'till they get settle and find their own place," he continued his rant, almost scared to stop talking. Fearing his face would again turn that dreaded crimson red. "The room is not all that big, but it does have a fairly large walk-in closet. At this time, you are my only tenant, but should I get another you will need to share the bathroom. The kitchen is ridiculously small, but you get a cabinet where you can store whatever you like. We share the cleaning of common areas, such as kitchen and living room. We can agree on sharing the grocery bill, or if you rather would do your own shopping you can do so too. Up to you. The rent is $425, including utilities, DSL, and cable TV. You pay your own phone bill. When do you want to move in?" Jackson ended his speech with a small smile, which faded as soon as he saw the surprised look on the woman's face. "Oh God, when do I learn to shut up? Why would I just assume she would want to rent a room from me?" he immediately thought to himself. "Well, Sir, I would like to see the place before I commit myself to anything," she replied. "Yes, yes of course. I am sorry I didn't mean to be pushy," Jackson said while handing her his card. "Please give me a call, if you are interested. And please call me Daniel," he said with a smile. "Yes, S… Daniel," the woman replied. "Thanks for stopping by, and if you need anything just let me know," Jackson shook her hand and led her to the door.  
After she had left, Jackson took a deep breath and resumed his position by the desk. "When do I learn to shut up," he thought, "No way I am ever going to see her again, she is probably going to turn in her resignation as fast as she can. She thinks I am a raving lunatic. Will I ever learn?"

On her way back to the lab, Doctor Swenson, was thinking of her first official meeting with Doctor Jackson. "He sure is a peculiar man," she thought, "Not much for small talk either. Oh well. I think I will give him a call to go check out that room." She kept thinking of the meeting, how surreal it had seemed. Maybe her female colleagues were right about this doctor being either gay or married to his work. 


	3. Chapter 3

Part 3

Jackson was sitting in his study, working on a new translation, which he had decided to bring home from the SGC. It was a fairly easy translation, so his mind kept drifting, when he suddenly heard his phone ringing. "Jackson" he said as he picked up the receiver. "Hello Doctor Jackson, this is Jessica Swenson. I would like to arrange to come see the room you have for rent," he heard the soft voice say at the other end. "Sure, Doctor Swenson. I have no plans for this evening, so if now is a good time for you, please come on over." He gave her his address, and they agreed for her to come to his house within 30 minutes. Jackson just sat for a few minutes, trying to collect his thoughts. He had never before felt nervous to have a prospective tenant come to his house. Yet, this time he felt his stomach flutter and his hands were shaking. "I am pathetic," he thought as he got up to do a quick walk through the house to make sure everything was in order. There was a few dishes in the sink that he decided to get out of the way. When that was done he headed to the master bathroom to take a look in the mirror. Satisfied that he looked somewhat okay, he headed to the living room to wait for Doctor Swenson's arrival. A few minutes later, while nervously pacing the floor, he heard a small knock on the door and quickly went to let Doctor Swenson in. "Please, come in," Jackson said as he was holding the door open for the young woman. "Thank you, Sir…I mean Daniel," she replied while walking through the entranceway to the living room. "You have a beautiful home," she said shyly. Jackson was trying his hardest not to fidget, but it seemed like his body had taken control. She looks stunning. Her hair was flowing down over her shoulders, no longer confined in a ponytail. Maybe around 5'6", not skinny, but definitely not big either. Just a gorgeous natural woman. "Thank you. Can I offer you a drink?" Jackson said while moving to the small bar located in the far corner of the big living room. "Yes, please, anything will do," Swenson said with a big smile. God, she is beautiful. Maybe it was not a good idea to have her rent the room," Jackson thought as he poured two glasses of red wine, "I can't do this"  
"Let's go look at the room," he said, handing her the glass of wine, his eyes never meeting hers. "Then we can go back here and talk about it." Jackson leading the way, they headed down the hallway to the room. On the way there he pointed out the various rooms they walked past. On the left side of the hallway was first the study, then the smaller of the spare rooms, and last the bigger of the rooms. Between the two bedrooms, the shared bathroom was located, it only had access from either of the two rooms. On the right side of the hallway was a small guest bathroom, then a guest room, and last the master suite.  
"This will be your room, if you decide to rent," he said opening the door to the room. "it should be big enough for you to put in a decent size bed, desk, dresser, or whatever you might have. The bathroom is over there, which you will be sharing when I get another renter. This room also have a fairly large walk-in," he said. Barely taking time to breathe, he continued, "I have a big storage shed in the back yard and you are welcome to store your things there. The things you can't find space for in your room that is. The TV cable is over there below the window, and the DSL cable is on that wall. It is hooked up to a router, so just let me know when you want me to set it up," the poor woman could not get a word in, so she just nodded. "Oh no, here I go again. Jackson; stop assuming she wants to move in," he thought, as his face again threatened to turn a bright red. He quickly turned around and headed to the living room, leaving Swenson alone in the room. She gave the room a last look and then headed to the living room. "I like it," she simply said, making eye contact with Jackson, whom quickly looked the other way. "Good, when can you move in?" Jackson started to blush again, but quickly turned around, away from Swenson, so she couldn't see it. "Umm… I kinda need a place right away, so as soon as possible will be good for me." "Oh good. Do you need any help? I have a friend with a truck that I can borrow. So just let me know," Jackson said, gaining a little more confidence. "Is tomorrow too soon? I only have a few things. The rest will be shipped later in the week," she said as Jackson poured them each another glass of wine. "Please, sit down," Jackson said pointing to the large couch. "Tomorrow… I just need to check on the truck, but I am sure it will be fine," he replied as he moved himself to sit at the opposite end of the couch, trying to look at everything in the room so as not to look her in the eyes. "How on earth am I going to survive this? She is so beautiful," he thought while quickly drinking the rest of his wine. He got up to fill it again asking Swenson if she wanted a refill. "Yes, please," she answered with a bright smile. Jackson drank his third glass and filled up again before going back to the couch. Noticing her worried look, he hurriedly said, "Sorry, I am not usually a drinker." "Oh God, why don't I just tell her that I think she is hot?" he thought, his face again a bright red. "Oh, no problem, I understand it can be nerve wrecking to share your home with a stranger," she replied in a very comforting tone. Then her face turned bright red as well. "Look at us, we look like to school children, all blushing," she said. They both started laughing, and it seemed that that was all it took to break the ice. They spent the next couple of hours just talking, trying to get to know each other. They talked about where they had gone to school, what their specialties were, and of course the Stargate project. They were both pleasantly surprised to learn that they had so much in common. As the evening came to a close, the two doctors were on their way to become friends.  
"I will let you know tomorrow around noon, if I can borrow the truck," Jackson said with a smile as he walked Swenson to the door. "Thank you so much… for everything, Daniel. I really appreciate all you are doing for me," Swenson said as she shook his hand and turned to leave.

"She really is nice… and smart… and gorgeous… and probably already seeing someone," Jackson thought as he was lying in bed that night. At the same time, in a hotel room, across town, Swenson was trying to go to sleep, but she couldn't stop thinking about her evening. "He really is nice… and smart… and so very handsome… and probably gay," she thought with as sad smile as she closed her eyes and went to sleep. 


	4. Chapter 4

Part 4

"Knock, knock… can I come in?" Jackson said as he entered Colonel O'Neill's office not waiting for an answer. "And if I say no?" the colonel answered with a chuckle. "What can I do for you?" "I wanted to ask if I can borrow your truck later this afternoon or tonight." Jackson said with a shy smile. "No one uses my truck, you know that. But if I drive then it will be fine." O'Neill answered. "I need to use it myself tonight around eight, but if we can be done before then, then it will be with for me. What do you need it for anyway?" O'Neill asked with curiosity. "I got a new tenant and… just going to help her move in," Jackson muttered, hoping his friend neglected to hear the 'her' part. Jackson knew he would not be able to live it down when O'Neill found out who the new tenant was. However, the look on O'Neill's face told Jackson that his friend had heard. "So what's her name?" the older man asked. " Swenson… She is new in my department. I am just letting her live at my house until she finds a more permanent place," Jackson answered, trying to sound like it was just another tenant. Not very successful though. "Yeah, sure, ya betcha…" O'Neill answered with a grin on his face. "So when do I pick you up?" he asked. "Let me talk with Swenson, and I will get back to you then," Jackson said as he made his way out the office, waving his hand over his shoulder.

Jackson went back to his office, calls the lab, and asks that Swenson join him in his office. Shortly thereafter Swenson knocks on Jackson's door. "Hi Daniel… You called," Jessica said with a smile, as she made her way into the office. "Yeah, have a seat. How are you today?" Jackson points to the guest chair. "I am fine… Did you find out anything about the truck?" Jessica asked without wasting much time. "We can have it as soon as we want but we have to be done before eight tonight. Will that be a problem?" Jackson asked. "No, I don't think so. Just let me know when you want start and I will be ready," Jessica answered. "Okay, I will talk to Jack. He insists on being the driver, so I will let you know when we get ready to leave." Jackson got to his feet indicating that the meeting was over.

The rest of the day was quiet in the mountain. Jackson and O'Neill decided to leave early and get started on the move. At around 3PM Jackson made his way to the lab to tell Swenson that they were ready to leave. When Swenson and Jackson made it to the surface O'Neill was already there waiting for them. Jackson discreetly cast a look at Swenson and noticed a smile spreading on her face, and he knew she noticed exactly how handsome the older man is. "Damn, how can one compete against that distinguished look and boyish charm…? I should have rented a truck instead of introducing those two," Jackson thought as they made their way to O'Neill's truck. "Jack, this is Jessica. Jessica, Jack," Jackson introduced the two as he moved around to open the passenger door for Swenson. "Thanks for helping me out. I truly appreciate it, Colonel," Swenson said as she extended her hand to greet O'Neill. "No problem… Anything to spend the afternoon in the company of a pretty lady," O'Neill said as he jumped into the drivers side of the truck. "Where to?" O'Neill asked as he started up the engine. Swenson gave him the directions as they drove off. 

They drove for a while in silence, until O'Neill couldn't stand it any longer. "So, Jess, how's the geek treating you?" O'Neill asked. "If by geek you mean Dr. Jackson, then he is treating me well," Swenson answered, "very well in fact. Not many people would invite a total stranger to live at their home." "That's Jackson for you alright," O'Neill said with a shake of his head. They drove again for a while in silence. Each of them consumed in their own thoughts. "They truly are an odd couple. I thought they were best friends, but that geek comment was a little rude. Yet the tone of voice sounded a little like he cares a great deal about Daniel. Hmm… maybe they are a couple," Swenson thought, glancing first at O'Neill, then at Jackson. "Daniel looks like he would rather not be here. Why is he so shy? He looks so worried. Maybe he is afraid I am going to figure out about their relationship. What a shame he is gay. I wouldn't mind him being straight and single," Swenson again glanced at Jackson, trying to shake the thought. "It is too soon anyway, I don't need the heartache"  
Jackson noticed how Swenson suddenly looked sad. "Wonder what's up with that? Maybe she thinks that Jack is taken. I should tell her to go for it. What am I thinking? I don't want them together. I want her… I saw her first! Oh geez, now I sound like a 12 year old," Jackson thought, shaking his head, feeling the sadness creep over him.  
"Wow, they sure got the hots for each other," O'Neill thought, "so why do they both look so sad? It is not like they have to worry about regs, they are both civilians. Maybe they just need a little push in the right direction. Time for the Colonel to take action"  
"So, Jess, got any plans for the weekend?" O'Neill asked taking his eyes off the road for a second to look at her, not missing the look of surprise on Jackson's face. "Umm.. No, not yet. Probably just going to unpack and get settled." "We are going camping this weekend, do you wanna come?" O'Neill said. Jackson shot him another look. "Could he be anymore obvious? Why doesn't he just invite her out? Or drop me off so he can be alone with her? Great now I am jealous." Jackson thought, while sending a questioning look towards O'Neill. "It is just SG-1 and you, if you would like to come. Great way for you to get to know us all," O'Neill continued. Oblivious to the jealous looks Jackson was sending him. "Sounds like fun, but I really should spend some time getting my things unpacked," Swenson replied without looking at either of them and by that missing the looks passing between the two men. "It will be fun, right Daniel?" O'Neill said sending a look towards Jackson. And without giving him a chance to answer he continued, "We always hang out during downtime, so since you will be living at Daniels place you need to get used to us, so what better way than to go camping with us. Right, Daniel?" This time it looked like he was actually going to give Jackson a chance to answer. "Umm… sure, you are welcome to join us, Jessica, it will be fun." "Okay, I will think about it. When are you leaving?" Swenson asked, looking at O'Neill. Jackson's tone of voice hadn't exactly sounded inviting so she didn't dare looking him. O'Neill smiled at her, and told her they would be leaving Friday, and to just let him know before then.

Again, silence filled the truck, while they all thought about what had just happened. Swenson was torn. She didn't know if she should accept the invitation or not. O'Neill seemed like he was genuinely interested in her joining them on their trip. However, Jackson seemed like he would rather she did not. She hadn't missed the looks that Jackson kept sending O'Neill, although she rather wished that she had. She really would love to go, but she thought that maybe it was better if she did not.  
Jackson was torn as well. It would be a fun trip. They always had fun on their camping trips. Nevertheless, could he stand watching Jack shamelessly flirting with Jessica for three whole days? Maybe she will decide not to go. He felt that a part of him wanted her to go, but another part didn't. Logically it shouldn't be a problem, but his heart told him otherwise. O'Neill was oblivious to the turmoil he had caused. But the more he looked at his friend and the woman seated between them; he started to doubt his decision to invite her to join them on their camping trip. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea after all. He really did need to learn to think before talking. How was he going to get out of this one? He wasn't too thrilled about having an angry archaeologist on his hands, and he didn't want to come off as a total nut to the newest addition to the mountain. What should he do? He couldn't take the invitation back. Too late for that now. Maybe she will say no, and there will be nothing to worry about. But why is Daniel not interested in Jess joining them? O'Neill had been certain that the two youngsters would have been happy to have a chance to spend the weekend getting to know each other. Oh well, no going back now.

"We are here," O'Neill said, breaking the silence. "What spot is closest to your room, Jess?" "If you park right over there to the left, we will be right in front of my room," Swenson answered. O'Neill parked the truck and they all jumped out and went to Swenson's room. She didn't have a whole lot of things to move. Only a few boxes, several suitcases, and a desk top computer. It took only a few minutes to load it all in the truck and secure it. Swenson went to the motel office to check out. As soon as she was outside hearing range O'Neill thought it was time to talk to Jackson about inviting Swenson on their trip. "Sorry, Daniel, I thought you would welcome a chance to get to know her better. I only invited her because I thought it was okay with you," he started. Jackson turned around to face his friend. "Oh give me a break, Jack. You only invited her so you could get to know her better. Don't let me stand in your way," Jackson replied angrily, and then stomped off, before O'Neill could answer. "Whoa, what was that all about? Danny boy is jealous. Geez, he thinks I invited her because I have the hots for her. Looks like I really made a mess of it this time," O'Neill thought as he too made his way in to the truck. After he started up the truck, he turned to look at Jackson. "Daniel, I am not interested in her. I am no threat to you," "Who said I was interested in her? So help yourself," Jackson replied with a gruff. "Yeah, sure ya betcha," O'Neill said, driving towards to the motel entrance to pick up Swenson who was now waiting for them. She got in the truck and smiled at both men. Seeing the grim looks on both of them she decided to keep quiet. They drove in silence for a while, until O'Neill started some small talk with Swenson. Jackson just kept staring out the passenger side window. He could hear them talking and laughing, but didn't pay attention to what they were talking about. He was busy looking at nothing and feeling sorry for himself. "Why does this always happen to me? I haven't looked at another woman since Sha're, and as soon as I do, Jack comes along and I might as well forget it. I hope that she will soon find a place of her own and move out. I don't think I could handle seeing them together, or knowing what they might be doing in the next room. If nothing else, this is going to be interesting," he thought. Next thing he knew, they were parked in the driveway in front of his house.

It took them even less time to unload the truck. They carried all Swenson's things to her new room. They all then got back in the truck to go back to the mountain to pick up their individual cars. As soon as they arrived at the mountain Jackson jumped out of the truck with a muttered "Thanks, Jack," then he briskly walked off to get his car. Both Swenson and O'Neill just looked at his back as he walked off. He could feel their eyes on his back, but he just couldn't stand being near them for another minute. He needed to be alone. Alone to think. "Is everything okay?" Swenson asked, looking at O'Neill with a worry. "Yeah, nothing to worry about," O'Neill replied. "I should get going, I will talk with you later, and you know where to find me, when you decide if you want to go camping, and don't worry about Daniel, he will be fine. He is probably just thinking about some artifact or translation. He gets like that," he continued with a smile. "Okay, and thanks for your help, I really appreciated it," Swenson said as she started walking backwards towards her car. "See you later," she waved as she turned around and walked away. 


	5. Chapter 5

Part 5

Swenson parked her car next to Jackson's in the driveway, and walked to the front door. She kept thinking about what had happened and couldn't quite figure it all out. It had all seemed okay until Colonel O'Neill had invited her to join them on their camping trip. After that, it had seemed like Jackson had shut down. Did he dislike her so much that he didn't want her to come along or was there some other reason? Was she right about him being gay and in a relationship with the colonel? Was he jealous, that the colonel had invited her along? Maybe moving in here was not such a great idea after all. Maybe he just didn't like her.  
She let herself in, not wanting to disturb Jackson. The house was dark and quiet, no signs of Jackson. "Maybe he went to bed? Nah, it is barely dinnertime. He probably went for a walk," she thought as she made her way to her room. Passing by the door to his study the mystery was solved. Through the closed door, she could hear the distinct sounds of someone typing. Sounds like the colonel was right after all. Jackson had clearly had his mind on work the whole time and had been in a hurry to get home to document his thoughts. Not wanting to disturb the doctor, she quickly went to her room and quietly closed the door behind her.

It was not work related thoughts that Jackson was busy documenting. It was personal. He had arrived home just minutes before Swenson, and had been in a hurry to get on the computer to write down his thoughts and feelings about what had transpired during the last couple of hours. He had always kept journals, but had recently started an online blog. He had never before shared his thoughts with others, so a blog was a new experience for him. It felt good to share, and who knows, maybe he could make some new friends out there in cyber world. Someone who didn't know him from the mountain or from his past. Someone who would like and accept him for who he is, and not for what they would like him to be. He just hoped none of his friends ever find and read the blog. Of course, he couldn't share everything about his life. His life was classified. Nevertheless, he could share some of the more personal thoughts, feelings, and hopes he has for the future. Moreover, most importantly he could share the feelings he has for Swenson. His disappointment in O'Neill. In addition, maybe some stranger would offer some sort of comfort or maybe even a solution. He didn't write much this time, just enough to get his feelings out and somewhat under control. While writing he had more or less decided not to go if Swenson decided she would be joining them. He just had to think of a valid excuse.

She was sitting in the middle of the floor amongst all her boxes and suitcases. She had taken a few items of clothing and hung them in the walk-in closet, and now she was just looking at the rest of her stuff. Still not having any furniture there was not much she could unpack. She opened up one of the boxes labeled 'Personal' in big letters. Her heart skipped a tiny beat when saw the item on the very top in the box. It was a large photo album, covered in beautiful maroon leather and gold lettering. It was her most treasured possession. It symbolized a life that once was, and a life that could have been. She slowly reached for it, and lifted it out of the box. She scooted to the wall and made herself comfortable before she opened up the album. The first page had a large picture of a couple on their wedding day. Swenson ran her fingers over the picture, and with tears starting to burn in her eyes she thought of how happy that day had been. So full of promises and love. It had been late spring, and the garden was full of the most beautiful flowers in all the colors of the rainbow. The bride had flowers in her hair, and the dress was most gorgeous. They both had bare feet and were curling their toes in the cool grass. He was handsome in his light tan colored shirt and pants. His hair was so black, his eyes so blue, blue like ice, and he had the most fantastic tan. Every time she looked at the picture, his smile nearly took her breath away. Such happiness.  
On the next few pages there were more pictures of the couple. Pictures from the honeymoon, pictures from their new home, pictures of them with their family on various holidays. She turned the page again to see a picture of the most adorable baby boy. He looked just like his father. The same black hair, the same icy blue eyes, and even though he was only hours old his skin was a dark tan, almost like he had spent the entire summer in the sun. The following pages were filled with pictures of that baby as he grew bigger and bigger through spring, summer and autumn. The Christmas pictures showed a picture of a healthy baby boy, who by then was talking his first steps. She turned the page again, and now the tears were running freely down her cheeks. The page was empty. No more pictures. It had all ended so sudden. In a blink of an eye. Her husband and precious baby boy had gone to surprise her at her work, but only a few blocks away a semi truck had sideswiped them. Both had died instantly. Her life too had ended that horrible winter day. Had it not been for the support of her family and friends, she was sure that she couldn't have gone on without her best boys. She thought she would never love again, and she would certainly never have any more children. She would never be able to handle such a loss again. It has been almost nine years now, yet she felt in her heart, as it had been only yesterday that her heart had been ripped from her body. Sure, she had had the occasional boyfriend since then, but it had not been true love. She would never be able to love like that again. She was certain of that. She would not permit it. She was sobbing when she heard a light knock on her door. "Jessica, I ordered a pizza, do you want some?" she heard Jackson say from the hallway. Trying to get her emotions under control, she told him she would be right out. Getting up she put the album back in the box, and after closing the box, she went to the bathroom to splash some cool water in her face. Satisfied that she no longer looked like she had been crying she made her way to the living room.

After sitting in the study staring at nothing for a while, Jackson decided that he was hungry, but didn't feel like doing any cooking. He picked up the phone and ordered a pizza. Pizza was not his favorite but it would have to do. When he was done with his phone call, he made his way towards Swenson's room to ask her if she would join him for dinner. The closer he got to her door the more aware of the faint sobbing sounds he heard from within. "What is that? Is she crying?" he thought as he raised his hand to knock on her door. He stood there for a moment debating if he should knock or just walk away and leave her alone. He finally decided to knock, thinking that maybe she would welcome some company. "She probably misses her family and friends from back home. She is homesick and feels alone here. And I am not a very good friend right now. My behavior earlier, probably made her feel even more alone. I am such an ass," he thought as he waited for her reply. After she had agreed to join him for dinner, he made his way to the living room, to wait for the pizza delivery guy. He plopped down on the couch and turned on the TV. Maybe a funny movie would cheer her up and feel less alone. He flipped to the pay-per-view channels to see if he could find anything good. "Failure to Launch, wonder what that is all about," he thought, "romantic comedy, hmm, maybe she will like that." Just as he was done ordering the movie, the doorbell rang. As he got up to answer the door, he saw her come down the dimly lit hallway. She looked like an angel; with her long blonde hair hanging lose down over her shoulders. He nearly tripped over the coffee table. Catching himself, he quickly asked her to get some plates from the kitchen. He then went to the door to get the pizza. On his way back to the couch, he grabbed a bottle of red wine and two glasses, from their shelf near the door. They made it to the couch at the same time, and their shoulders touched as he walked around her to place the pizza, wine and glasses on the table. He felt almost like a shot of electricity went through him, and immediately felt his face flush. He looked up into her eyes as he sat down on the couch. He could clearly see that she had been crying. Silently he swore to himself that he would try his best to make sure that her time in the Springs would not be spent crying or feeling alone. He smiled at her and told her about the movie he had ordered. She had never seen the movie before either, and they both got comfortable next to each other on the couch.

The evening went by fast, and they had both enjoyed each other's company. The movie wasn't too bad. The typical romantic comedy; boy meets girl, boy loses girl, and boy gets girl back. It did have some funny moments and Jackson had enjoyed hearing Swenson laugh. They had both laughed, and before they knew it, the evening had ended and they said goodnight and went to their respective rooms. Now in bed, Jackson couldn't stop thinking about the woman now sleeping in the room just across the hall. Even though she had been laughing and seemed to have been enjoying the movie and his company, she still had looked so sad. He was starting to think that it couldn't just be that she was homesick. Something else was going on, and he was determined to find out. It made him sad to see her like that. It did not take him long to slip into a restless sleep as his mind kept thinking about her across the hallway alone in her room.

On the uncomfortable air mattress in her new room was Swenson was again fighting to keep the tears at bay. She usually didn't cry like this, but the last couple of weeks since she had moved to the Springs, she had felt like her loss was all consuming. Sure, the fact that she had moved away from her family and friends didn't help much. They had been her comfort, her pillars of strength, her heart and home. Now she was all alone, and she felt the loss all over again, no one to talk to or to comfort her. She silently cried herself to sleep. 


	6. Chapter 6

Part 6

"Good morning, sleep well?" Jackson asked while pouring his third cup of coffee of the morning. "As well as one can sleep on a half empty air mattress," Swenson replied with an exhausted look on her face. She sat down at the breakfast bar next to Jackson. Folded her arm on the counter in front of her and bent her head down to rest on her arms, looking like she was going to go back to sleep. "You look like you could use a cup of coffee," Jackson got up, grabbed a mug from the cabinet, and poured a cup for Swenson. He placed the mug in front of her on the counter and sat down next to her, waiting for some sort of reaction. He was certain that she had actually fallen asleep. The aroma from the coffee finally reached her nose and she started stirring. He couldn't take his eyes off her; she was so beautiful in her sleep. The way her nose crunched up when the coffee aroma tickled her nostrils, it was adorable and Jackson could no longer keep his hands to himself. He gently brushed a stray lock of hair away from her face, only barely touching her skin. Her eye flew open, as if he had startled her. Their eyes met and for a moment, neither of them could look away. Suddenly Swenson got to her feet, nearly knocking Jackson off his stool. "I need to get ready," she said as she grabbed her mug and disappeared down the hallway.

Jackson was left sitting alone at the breakfast bar. He could still feel the heat of her skin on his fingers. He still felt the electricity that had shot through his body. Wondering if there was a chance that maybe she had felt the same way. "Not a chance in hell," he thought has he buried his face in his hands. He sat like that for a few moments, before he got up and went to his room to get ready to leave for work.

She closed the door behind her and leaned back against it. Her heart was beating so fast that she for a moment thought that it was going to burst through her chest. She was shaking all over and it was a miracle that she didn't spill her coffee all over the floor. She closed her eyes, and took a few deep breaths to calm herself and then pushed away from the door and went to the bathroom. In the bathroom, she stood in front of the mirror, thinking about what had just happened. She could still feel him where his fingers had touched her skin and she could still feel the electricity shoot through her body. Wondering why he would have touched her. Sure, they could touch each other, it would be unavoidable, after all they did live in the same house. There would be the occasional bumping into each other. She was aware of that. However, that touch had been different. It was so gentle, so caring. She was wondering if maybe he had felt the same way she had. "Oh pull yourself together; he is gay for Christ sake," she thought angrily as she started the shower.

He had finished his shower and had been dressed, packed up what he needed to bring to work, and had made it almost to the front door when a thought hit him. He made his way back through the house and knocked on the door to Swenson's room. "Do you want to drive to the mountain together?" he asked. "No," was the only word he heard from behind the door. "Umm… okay," was all he could say as he turned to leave. When he had made it almost to the end of the hallway, he heard her door open and turned to look. "I have to leave from work early because my furniture will arrive today. And if we drive in together, one of us will be stranded," she said with a smile. He smiled back at her and turned to leave. "Okay… I will see you later then," he said as he disappeared through the front door.

So far, it had been a quiet day. Jackson was sitting in his office going over a few items that had been waiting for him when he had arrived at his office. He had not had much to do the last couple of days, since he had finished the translation for SG-16. Therefore, he was just catching up on a few minor items, and items coming from his staff to be checked. There were no missions scheduled for SG-1 until the following week, and he had already finished the preparations for the upcoming mission. So he was thinking that maybe he should take the rest of today and tomorrow off, and get in some relaxation.  
It was nearly noon, so he went to the general to let him know that he was going to head out and that if they needed him they could page him. He also made the general know that he would either be camping or going to Denver during the weekend. However, he would call in with contact information when he knew more. On the way topside he decided to stop by O'Neill's office to give him a heads up as well.  
"Come on in, Daniel," O'Neill said as Jackson knocked on the half open door, "what's up?" "Nothing really, just wanted to let you know that I am going home." Jackson answered entering the office. "Are you okay?" the colonel asked worried. "I'm fine, just no need for me to sit around doing nothing, and I don't feel like getting started on something big until after the weekend"  
"Aha… the classic 'I'm fine', something's up," O'Neill thought. He knew that Jackson was not fine. First, Jackson always had work to do, so his excuse was a bad one. Second, he knew that when Jackson claimed to be fine, he was usually anything but fine. O'Neill started to think that the problem was probably him. Jackson had not exactly been happy yesterday when he had invited Swenson to join them on their camping trip. Surely, that could not be the only reason that Jackson was now leaving the mountain. Now would probably not be a good time to tell Jackson that Swenson had just left a minute ago after stopping by to tell O'Neill that she was happy to accept the invitation. She only needed to talk with Jackson to make sure he was okay with her taking Monday off. O'Neill had told Swenson that he was certain that Jackson was okay with it; otherwise, he would have said something the day before. "Okay, have any plans yet? Do you want to go to O'Malley's tonight for steak?" O'Neill asked, hoping that maybe they could get this mess straightened out. "Make it a team night, run through the plans for the weekend and such. Could be fun," O'Neill continued. He was thinking that if he could just get five minutes alone with Jackson and talk to him, they could get back on track. "I might not go with you this weekend, but dinner sounds nice," Jackson said, retreating through the door, "see you there at seven." He was gone before O'Neill could answer.  
"This is not good," O'Neill thought, "our friendship is too important to let a woman get between us. I need help." O'Neill got to his feet and left his office. If anyone could help, it would be Maj. Sam Carter. She too was close with Jackson. Maybe he had talked with her, and she would know what was going on and how to handle it. O'Neill knew that when Jackson had problems he would many times go to Carter. He moved briskly down the corridor to the elevator, but as he reached the doors, they opened and Carter stepped out. "Sir! I was just coming to see you," Carter said. "And I you," O'Neill replied. "What's going on, Sir? I just ran into Dr. Swenson in the commissary and she told me you had invited her on the camping trip?" "That's what I was going to talk to you about. Let's go to my office," O'Neill said as he turned and walked towards his office. Carter followed, as she wondered what the good colonel had gotten himself into now. As they entered the office, the colonel closed the door behind Carter and asked her to take a seat. "I'm in trouble," O'Neill started. "I was helping Daniel yesterday with moving Swenson into Daniel's spare room. He often rents to the new people joining us. I noticed that Daniel looked like he was… well he looked like he's got the hots for the girl, so without thinking I invited her along on the trip. I thought Daniel would like that idea, but instead he got all pissy and now he will barely talk to me. He was just in here to tell me that he had taken the rest of the day and tomorrow off. I asked him if he wanted to go to O'Malley's tonight, like a team night, and we could make the last arrangements for the weekend. He said he would meet us there at 0700, but that he wasn't sure yet if he was going with us this weekend. He left before I could say anything. And before I could tell him that Swenson was going to join us this weekend," O'Neill said as he fell back in his chair, feeling exhausted from the long tirade, but he wasn't quite done yet, "and I think the reason he is pissy with me is that he is jealous. He thinks I invited her because I like her. I invited her for him, not for me. I tried to tell him, but he won't listen. What should I do"  
"Sir, you need to butt out of Daniel's life. I know you care for him, deeply, but you cannot continue to make decisions for him. He is a grown man, and if he is interested in Dr. Swenson, he will do something about it, on his own time. Not when you want him to. You need to talk to him, and make him understand that you were out of line, and that you did invite her because you thought that it was what Daniel wanted," Carter said, looking worried. She normally would not speak like this to her CO, but sometimes she just needed to. "I know, but he won't listen to me! I was hoping that I could talk to him tonight, or maybe you could talk to him," he answered with a sheepish grin, hoping he could push his problem on Carter instead of him having to deal with it himself. "Oh no you don't," Carter replied, "don't dump this one on me. You need to talk to Daniel yourself. Besides that, umm, if Dr. Swenson is going, shouldn't she be at our 'meeting' tonight as well"  
"Aww crap, of course she should. I will call her. You sure you don't want to talk to Daniel for me?" he asked with hope. "Not a chance," she laughed, "I gotta get back to work. I will stop by and tell Teal'c about tonight. See ya later!" She disappeared out the door, leaving O'Neill to stew alone.  
O'Neill called the doctor to let her know about their plans for that evening and she again accepted the invitation. The colonel then decided to leave the mountain to go have his talk with Jackson.

Jackson had gone straight home, not because he had any plans, but because he just wanted to be alone and he did that best by hiding in his study. So he put on a pot of coffee, waited for it to finished, poured it into a thermos, and headed for the study. He had decided that since he had nothing better to do he would surf the net for a while. He did not find much to keep him interested for any extended period, so he chose to write a bit on his blog. He couldn't think straight and nothing could keep his mind from thinking about the past few days. He had so many emotions going through him. Anger, jealousy, worry about his friendship with Jack, and most of all he kept thinking about Swenson, and how he was falling in love with her. Time flew, and before he knew it, it was almost time for Swenson to arrive home. Due to their little incident that morning, he thought it best not to be around when she got home. He powered down his computer and headed out the door. He just in his car and drove.

O'Neill drove straight to Jackson's house, however when he arrived he noticed that the driveway was empty. He got out of his truck and headed for the front door. He knew that there was a great chance that no one was home, yet he still decided to knock. As he had predicted no one was home. When he turned around to walk back to his truck Swenson pulled into the driveway. He greeted her with a smile, and held the car door open for her. "Hi Jess, was just stopping by to have a chat with Daniel, but it seems that I missed him," O'Neill said as he walked her to the door, "Mind if I come in to wait for him?" Swenson was happy to see O'Neill, and greeted him with a big smile. "Sure, I don't mind at all. But isn't Daniel at the mountain? I didn't expect him home this early," she said as she unlocked the door to let them inside the house. "Actually he took the rest of the day off and tomorrow too. Thanks for letting me hang around. I will just stay for a little while, if he doesn't come home, I'll just talk with him tonight." "Okay, no problem. I just got home because I'm expecting a delivery. Make yourself comfortable. Do you want a drink? I think there is some beer in the fridge," she said as she went to the kitchen. "Thanks, that sound great, as long as it is not some of that imported stuff," he answered with a grin as he sat down on the couch. A moment later Swenson came back to the living room with two beers and sat down next to him. They talked for a while about the SGC, the people she was getting to know there, a little about their pasts, nothing too deep. O'Neill was starting to see why Jackson liked her so much. She was a great girl, and easy to get along with. He was starting to look forward to the weekend and to getting to know her better. He realized that it would be far too easy to fall in love with her. However, he also knew that if he wanted to preserve his friendship with Jackson he would need to stay clear of this woman.  
Meanwhile, Swenson was thinking how lucky these two men were to have each other. Both very handsome, nice and caring. She realized that their love for each other was very deep. She could see it in O'Neill's eyes every time they as much as mentioned Jackson's name. She felt a bit of sadness when she remembered that it was the kind of love that she once had with her husband, and would probably never get to experience again. She would give anything to get her old life back. Nevertheless, there was no turning back time now. All she could do now was cherish the memories, and try to move on with her life.  
Just as they were finishing their beers, there was a knock on the door. "That will be my delivery," she said as she got up from the couch, "Do you mind staying around for another few minutes?" she asked while she walked to the door. "No, not at all. I will grab another beer, while I wait," O'Neill was already moving towards the kitchen. He didn't mind at all staying for a while. He thought that it probably wouldn't look good should Jackson come home right now, but she did ask him to stay.  
When he got back, into the living room, two men who were moving boxes and furniture parts from a moving truck to Swenson's room met him. He greeted them and sat back down on the couch. Swenson was directing the moving men, and it didn't take them long to get it all inside. They had to leave quite a few items in the garage, as there simply wasn't enough space in her room. As the men left, O'Neill got up, went to the bedroom where Swenson was attempting to organize her belongings and he asked her if there was anything he could do to help. "Nah, I think I got it," she answered. "Okay, then I think I will head home. There's no knowing where Daniel went or even when he plans to come home. I will see you both tonight then." he said. "At seven?" she asked, as she walked him to the door. "Yeah, that will be good. And have fun, and don't wear yourself out," he said as he left.

Jackson had stopped at a Starbucks to get a cup of coffee to go. He had decided to just drive and see where the road would lead him. One of his favorite places to go when he needed to be alone or to think was Pike National Forest. It wouldn't take him long to get to Pike's Peak, so that was the destination today. The fresh air would do him good, and maybe he could get rid of some of that anger and jealousy that was bottled up inside him. He again started to think about the upcoming trip with SG-1 plus one. He really did enjoy the trips with his friends during their down times. However, this time it was different. He enjoyed camping too, and was sad that he would miss their trip. He had made up his mind, tonight he was going to tell the gang that he would need to cancel, that something had come up. It didn't really matter if Swenson was going or not, he was not going, no matter what. He needed some time alone, and he needed to get away from the city. Camping on his own. He tried to convince himself that it would be fun. It was now nearly five o'clock and he needed to get back to the city. The fresh mountain air had done him good, and he felt so much better. Ready to face Jack and the rest of the team, he drove towards the city. 


	7. Chapter 7

Part 7

Jackson kept checking the time. It was nearly seven o'clock, so his friends were probably already at O'Malley's waiting for him. He had kept stopping to enjoy the view on his way down, so time had gotten away from him. His last stop had been a few miles off the main road. He particularly enjoyed this spot. It had a great view and not too many people knew of it, so it was always quiet and a great place to stop. Now he was on his way back to the main road, and then it was only about twenty minutes to O'Malley's. Suddenly there was a loud pop and Jackson had a hard time controlling the car. "Argh crap!" The left front tire hit a rock and before there was time to react, the car flew over the embankment and down a small hill. "Argh crap!" was the last words from Jackson before it all went black.

"Where the hell is he?" O'Neill said as he looked questioningly at his friends. Each had tried calling Jackson, but all with the same results, voicemail. "It is so like him to be late. Any of you try calling the mountain yet? Maybe he went back to work," O'Neill questioned again. All of them just shook their heads, neither of them knowing what to make of Jackson not showing up. "He did mention that he might not be able to join us this weekend. Any of you know anything about that?" O'Neill said. Again, they all just shook their heads. They decided not to wait any longer and they ordered their meals. Still they were all worried about their friend. It was not like Jackson to just go away and not let them know that he would be gone. Usually, he would at least call back when he checked his voicemail. They ate their meals in quiet worry, and attempted to plan for the weekend. The evening ended and they all headed for their respective home. Carter giving Teal'c a ride to the mountain and asked him to check to see if Jackson had checked in, and to give her a call at home if he found out anything. Anything at all about their missing friend. 

Swenson arrived at the home she shared with Jackson, and seeing that his car was not in the driveway, she got even more worried. The three members of SG-1 that she had had dinner with had seemed genuinely worried, and since they knew the doctor the best, the worry had rubbed off on her. When she made her way inside she decided to give his cell phone yet another try. Still nothing but the dreaded voicemail. She decided to call Carter to find out if maybe she had some news. She would rather call her, than call the mountain, as most people there would probably find it strange if she inquired about Jackson's whereabouts. Unfortunately, Carter had no news about Jackson. She had just gotten of the phone with Teal'c who had informed her that Jackson had not checked into the SGC since he had left around noon. Swenson got off the phone after promising Carter that she would call her when and if Jackson should show up at home. She did not feel like going to her room, so she decided to lie down on the couch and wait for her new friend to arrive home. She pulled the blanket up close to her chin and soon she drifted into a restless sleep. The nightmare was back, and she dreamt about her long dead husband. Except this time, it was different. The circumstances were the same, but the face of the young man in the coffin was not that of her late husband, instead it was Jackson's face she saw. She woke up with a startled scream, and tears flowing down her cheeks. She was not quite aware of where she was, and then she heard the phone. Moreover, it all became clear to her. She was on the couch in Jackson's living room, and Jackson was missing. She scrambled to get to the phone, hoping it was he who was calling home. "Hello?" she said as she picked up the receiver. "Heard anything yet?" she heard a worried voice ask. "O'Neill? No, I haven't. He didn't check into the SGC after leaving at noon, so he is not there. I am worried, has he ever done this before?" she asked. "Not unless he was in trouble," was O'Neill's short reply. "I let you get back to sleep. Let me know if you hear anything," he said as he hung up the phone. "Not unless he was in trouble?" she thought. "That doesn't sound good. Now I am really worried. I don't need this now." She kept thinking as she took the cordless phone and her cell phone and settled back down on the couch.

She woke up early the next morning as the sun peeked though the open shades. She immediately got to her legs and went to Jackson's bedroom to see if he had made it home. The room was empty, the bed was still made, and there was no sign that he had been there. She felt so helpless and frustrated. The phone rang as she was walking back towards the kitchen. She bolted to get the phone from the coffee table. With her heart pounding, she listened as O'Neill told that he had still not heard from Jackson. He told her that he would come to the house and spend the time with her there while they awaited news on their friend. He had already spoken with Carter and Teal'c and they would be waiting at the mountain. He had also spoken with General Hammond, and they have started to organize a search. However, since no one knew where to start looking, they would start by calling local hospitals, and then go from there.  
When she hung up the phone, she was more frightened than worried. What frightened her the most was that SG-1 and the general was worried enough to start a search. She decided that there was nothing she could do right now, so she went to take a shower.

Thirty minutes later O'Neill was knocking on the door, and when she opened it for him, she could tell that he had not had much sleep and that he was very worried. As he walked past her, he suddenly reached out and drew her into a tight hug. She was caught by surprise but after only a few seconds, she gave in and hugged the colonel back. They embraced each other for a couple of minutes, trying to find a little comfort in each other's arms. "Nice way for you to start your first week here with Jackson, huh?" O'Neill said as he let his arms fall to his sides. "No, not exactly what I had planned," she replied with a small smile. Together they walked to the kitchen to get some coffee started. Neither of them felt like eating, so when the coffee was done, they took their mugs to the living room and sat down to wait. Neither felt much like talking either. They were just taking comfort from each other, knowing that the best people were out there looking everywhere possible to find their friend.

At the SGC, all available personnel were hustling about, making phone calls, setting up a search, and trying to make themselves useful in the search for their favorite archaeologist. They were asking everyone who had ever been or were currently close with Jackson to find out if he had ever mentioned needing to go out of town or if there were any favorite locations, where they could start their search. They all came up empty handed. The phone calls to the hospitals and the local PD had all been useless. There had been no sign of Jackson since noon the previous day. The police did not want to get involved, as Jackson had not yet been missing long enough, so they could not file a missing person report. Despite the hustle and bustle, throughout the SGC, there was an eerie silence. Everyone, from the general down to the cooks in the commissary, was worried. They all had the memories of loosing their Dr. Jackson more than once, and no one willingly wanted to go through that again. This time it even seemed more serious to them all, as they wondered what could have happened. Previously, when he had died or gone missing, they all, more or less, knew what had happened. However, this time it was different. He had left the SGC, and no one had seen him since. Not knowing more grueling than knowing.

It was close to eight o'clock in the morning and O'Neill made yet another call to the SGC. He was starting to get frustrated, about not being able to do more. To help more with the search. As it was now he felt helpless, and all he could do was sit at Jackson's house and wait. He and Swenson had tried to carry on a conversation, but had soon found that it was impossible to even think of anything except hoping for the safe return of Jackson. As he got through to the SGC, he asked to speak with the general. He was put on hold, and as he waited, he grew more nervous. He was wondering why he was not put straight through. Something about it just didn't feel right.  
"O'Neill. We may have something," was all the general said as he got on the line. "Sir? Did Daniel show up?" O'Neill asked full of hope. "I just got a call from Memorial; it seems that our boy is there. He is unconscious, but they found his Cheyenne Mountain ID and called here. They don't know what happened to him, he was found wandering down a road. In the ambulance en route to the hospital, he slipped into unconsciousness. You are closer to the hospital, could you run over there, and I will send backup ASAP." O'Neill listened with great relief as the general spoke and agreed to head to the hospital as quickly as he could get there. As he received the last instructions, he moved to put on his jacket and motioned to Swenson to get ready to leave.  
O'Neill ushered Swenson to his truck as he explained the news to her. Although Jackson was unconscious, it was still good news. He was alive and they knew where he was. 


	8. Chapter 8

Part 8

O'Neill and Swenson had arrived at the hospital and were still trying to convince the emergency room nurse to allow them to see Jackson, when through the door came Carter, Teal'c, Janet Fraiser, General Hammond, and several airmen and marines. The airmen and marines took up positions by the outer doors, while Janet went to speak with the nurse. If you didn't know better you would think they were all there to tend to the President of the United States of America. However, they would not treat their Dr. Daniel Jackson, resident archaeologist, anthropologist, and linguist, any less than the President himself. They could not treat him any differently. As long as they didn't know under which circumstances Jackson had disappeared and ultimately gotten hurt, they would treat the situation as a crime and with utmost caution.  
Swenson, the general, and the three members of SG-1 settled down and awaited the return of Janet Fraiser. They knew that now that she was around, Jackson would be in good hands. She was there to evaluate his injuries, and to arrange transport back to the SGC. After what seemed like hours, she finally emerged from behind the heavy doors to the trauma rooms. She sent two marines to stand by Jackson's room while she went to speak with the general. They all noticed just how worried she looked however much she tried to convince them all that Jackson was in no immediate danger. She explained that although he was unconscious, there were no signs of brain injury. The hospital doctors had already done all possible test to find out why he had not yet regained consciousness, but so far there had been no clues. She had arranged for Jackson to be transported back to her infirmary, where she could better keep a watchful eye on him. And if for off chance this was due to a crime towards Jackson, they would be able to keep him safe.

With a small sense of comfort, Swenson, Teal'c, and Carter, left to go back to the mountain. The General and the airmen soon followed, leaving only O'Neill, Janet Fraiser, and the marines, to wait for the transport that would take Jackson back to SGC. When the three, Swenson, Teal'c, and Carter, arrived at the SGC, they soon felt that mood of the early morning had changed. People they passed in the corridors were smiling, however worried, they still smiled. They all had received the news that Jackson had been found. They also knew that he was hurt, but they believed that he would recover. They all had so much belief in Jackson; several of them had been around when he had descended, when he had been shot, when he had recovered from several injuries, injuries from which many other people would have surely died. This was Dr. Daniel Jackson, the man with nine lives. Yes, he would recover. The three went to Carter's lab, none of them could concentrate on work now, so they just sat there, waiting for Jackson to arrive at the infirmary. They were sitting in silence, all of them pondering what could have happened to their friend. A search team had been sent out to search the area where Jackson had been found. They were hoping to find his car, or some other means to discover what had happened to him. However, there was still no word that they had found anything of use. As of right now there was nothing the three could do but wait.

Approximately 30 minutes later, they were called to the infirmary. Jackson had arrived and was now being put through every test Janet Fraiser could think of. Although she had been assured that they had already done so at the hospital, she still felt that she had to do all the tests again herself. Yet again, there were no clues as to why he was still unconscious. The corridor outside the infirmary was crowded with people. It seems as though every person working under the mountain and arrived to hear if there were news, or in hopes that they would get a glimpse of Jackson, so they could assure themselves that he was in fact alive. This was a common occurrence when Jackson was laid up in the infirmary. General Hammond was speaking to O'Neill when he realized just how crowded the corridor had gotten, and didn't hesitate to send them all back to their workstations, only allowing the rest of SG-1 to remain. Swenson was upset, she did not want to leave her friend, but an order was an order. Therefore, with her shoulders hanging low she made her way down the corridor. "Jessie, wait up. Don't mind the general, you can stay and wait with the rest of us," she heard O'Neill say with a sly grin. They all moved into a small waiting area, and O'Neill pulled out a chair for Swenson. "Why don't you try to get some rest? You waited up all night like the rest of us, but you positively look beat." Swenson gratefully sat down in the offered chair. "Thank you, colonel." was about all she mustered to say. Although the chair was very uncomfortable, she soon felt her eyelids get heavy.  
"Poor girl," Carter said as she watched Swenson fall asleep, "she is clearly not use to such a hectic, stressful life. She better get use to it, if she plans on staying with Daniel for any extended period of time." she continued with a slight chuckle. Just then, the wall phone rang. The remainder of SG-1 to go to the briefing room, as there was finally news from the search team. Carter stuck her head through the door to tell Janet that they were being called to the briefing room, and told her that Swenson was asleep in the waiting room. Janet smiled and told her that both Swenson and Daniel were in good hands. As the three members of SG-1 left, Janet grabbed a blanket off a bed and went to the waiting room and wrapped it around Swenson.

In the briefing room, the general and the leader of the search team met them. They were informed that Jackson's car had been found, off an embankment on a gravel road, west of the city. It looked like a tire had blown, Jackson had lost control and the car had gone airborne over the side of the road. It was about 2 miles from where Jackson had been located, so he had clearly tried to walk out to get help. At the moment, it did not appear as if foul play was involved. However, to get a definitive answer to that, they would have to wait for Jackson to wake up, so he could tell them himself. They were all relieved that this time there was no unknown enemy out there trying to hurt Jackson. With that, they were all dismissed and made their way back to the infirmary to sit with Jackson until he would regain consciousness. This was normal for SG-1, if a member of the team was hurt, the rest of the team, would stay by his or her side, until their comfort were no longer needed, or until they were ordered back to duty.

When they arrived at the waiting room, they found that Swenson had awoken and left to go sit in the chair next to Jackson. She was holding his hand, gently stroking her thumb over the top of his hand. Moreover, by the look in her eyes they realized that she was a woman who had it bad for the archaeologist. Her eyes were filled with sadness, and you could almost feel the worry emanate from her body. They stopped inside the door and just looked at the sight in front of them. For Carter and Teal'c, this was the first time they had seen Jackson after the accident. Teal'c just lifted an eyebrow, but by the subtle expression that briefly crossed his face, you could tell that what he saw shocked him. Carter let out a small gasp, as she focused on Jackson's face. If they hadn't known who was in that bed in front of them, there was no way they would have recognized him. His left eye was swollen shut; around the eye, you could see where there wire frame glasses had made an impression. A dark, nearly black ring, circled the eye. The cheekbone below was swollen and dark bluish purple. There was a nasty cut across the bridge of his nose, clearly caused by his glasses. The left side of his upper lip was swollen and cut. He had a cut above his right brow, which had been sutured. On the right jaw was yet another nearly black bruise. Janet walked up to them, and gave them a description of the injuries that were not visible. There was a rather large bruise across his chest down over the hip, caused by the seatbelt. There were small cuts on his hands, knees, and elbow. They did not appear to have been a direct result from the accident; it was more likely that they were caused by falls when he had been trying to make his way to the paved road. She explained to them that there were no serious injuries. Test had shown that there were no internal injuries, and no brain injuries. He had seemed a little dehydrated, so she had hooked him up to an IV, and she predicted that he would soon wake up. "But if there are no serious injuries, why is he unconscious?" O'Neill asked quietly, however, they could all sense that he was about to loose his patience. He did not handle it well when he was not in total control of a situation. Right now he felt he had no control at all, and he felt very frustrated. This was his best friend over there, and all he wanted was for him to wake up. Janet knew that she should not go into any lengthy medical explanations, so she tried to be as straight forward as she could be. "To be honest, there are no reasons why he shouldn't be awake right now. All I can gather is that this is his body trying to heal him. We all know that the body heals more quickly if we rest. So, I predict that he will wake up when he is ready to wake up." The colonel just glared at her. She was growing impatient. Jackson was as much her friend as he was O'Neill's friend. She was just as worried about him as everyone else was. "Sorry colonel, I am a doctor, not a god. I can only tell you what I know, and as much as I would like to know everything, however, the human body is still a mystery to us. In addition, we all know that Daniel is much stronger than he seemed at first. We have all seen him pull though injuries much more serious than this one. He will pull through again; we just have to give him and his body time to heal." With that said, she turned on her heel and stalked off. Teal'c just raised an eyebrow, gave O'Neill a quick glance and then followed Janet to her office. "You sure did it now; won't you ever learn that Janet is the one with the big needles?" Carter said, trying to make light of the situation. They knew that every time one of them was hurt, it affected them all. Janet was their friend and it was just as hard on her as it was on them. Together, O'Neill and Carter went to the bedside and each pulled up a chair and sat down. They looked first at Jackson, then at Swenson. This whole time she had not once removed her eyes from the young man. She was oblivious to the people around her. O'Neill and Carter looked at each other, and without saying a word, they both knew that something else, aside from her worrying about Jackson, was going on inside that pretty head of hers. They did not say anything, they both just sat back in their chairs to keep vigil with the young woman.

When Janet had arrived in her office, she stopped in the middle of the room. She did not bother to close her door; she just stood there facing away from the door. That is how Teal'c found her when he arrived a minute later. He closed the door silently, and made it to her in two strides. She was still facing away from him, so he put his strong arms around her in a warm embrace. She felt so secure in the arms of her lover, and he always seemed to know just when she needed him most. They stood like that for what seemed like an eternity, and then suddenly Janet spoke. "I don't think I can do this anymore," her voice shaky, at the brink of tears. "You are all my friends, my family… every time one of you are hurt, you all rely on me to kiss and make better… I can only do so much… I can't do it anymore," she continued, between sobs. Teal'c turned her around, held her a little tighter, and then bent down and kissed the tears off her cheeks. "I think it is time to put in for that transfer." She said with determination. Teal'c knew that this had been coming, yet he was surprised that the minor injuries to Daniel Jackson had brought it out. He had expected it to happen when someone had come to Janet Fraiser's infirmary with injuries much more serious. "Shhh… Janet. It will all be alright." he said as he bent down to leave a small kiss on her lips. 


	9. Chapter 9

Part 9

Swenson had not moved an inch in the past hour. She was still sitting in the chair next to Jackson's bed. She was still holding his hand, rubbing it mindlessly with her thumb. Her eyes had never veered from his face. "Jack?" she heard the weak voice. It startled her and she let his hand fall from hers. She then realized that Jackson was calling for O'Neill, and she quickly got to her feet to make room for O'Neill at Jackson's side. She backed away one step at a time, until she had reached the door. When she felt she could get no further, she turned and fled through the door. "Jack?" Jackson repeated. "It's alright buddy, I am right here," O'Neill answered. He continued to whisper comforting words to his friend, while Carter left to find Dr. Fraiser. "Jack, what happened?" Jackson asked. "You tell me, Danny. You had us quite scared there for a while. Do you remember anything?" "Damn, my head hurts. Can I have some water, please?" Jackson asked weakly, just as Janet, Carter, and Teal'c made it to his side. Janet handed O'Neill a cup with ice chips and told him to give some to Jackson. "How are you feeling, Daniel?" Janet asked, as she took his vitals. "Aside from a splitting headache, I am doing just fine. What happened?" Jackson drew in a sharp breath when he put his hand to his head. He had not been prepared for the pain the bruises produced when touched. "Daniel, you were in a car accident. Do you remember any of that?" Janet asked, while she was pointing her penlight in his eyes. "Umm… not sure. Give me a minute to think, and stop with the light all ready." O'Neill had helped him up into a sitting position, and he now sat consumed in thought for a few minutes, while the others stared at him with great concern.  
Finally, he looked up and spoke. "Yeah, I think I remember something. I went to Pike's Peak to think, and then I was going to meet you at O'Malley's. I was running late and I think my tire blew. The rest is a blur. It got dark and I started to walk, but my head hurt so badly that I had to lie down and rest. Next thing I remember I woke up here. I take it I am late for dinner?" He looked shyly at O'Neill. "You can say that again, it is nearly noon Friday," O'Neill answered with a grin. Janet told Jackson about his injuries, and that he would have to stay in the infirmary for at least another 24 hours for observation. "There goes that camping trip," O'Neill said. "I wasn't planning on going," Jackson answered, "I made other plans." O'Neill didn't answer that, he just looked at his friend. He knew what was going on, but didn't want to get into a argument with him now. He knew that no matter what he said, he could not convince his friend that he had no interest in Swenson. "Okay people, Daniel need some rest. Why don't you all come back later," Janet said as she attempted to usher them out of the infirmary. "Not so fast Doc. I am going to sit with Daniel for a little while," O'Neill protested. Janet knew that she could not make him leave his friend. They have had that fight so many times in the past, and she had lost more times than not. "Okay then, just a little while. Do not wear him out. He will need his strength to heal." She replied as she, Carter, and Teal'c left the room.

O'Neill pulled the chair back so he could sit next to Jackson's bed. For a few minutes, they just sat in silence, then Jackson decided that there was one question he needed to ask. "Jack, was that you holding my hand while I was out?" "No Danny, that wasn't me. I was sitting over there with Carter," he answered while pointing at the two, now vacant, chairs on the side of the bed. "Then who?" Jackson was curious and felt he needed to know. "Jessie sat by your side from the moment you arrive here, 'till the moment you woke up," O'Neill answered with a grin. "She ran when you woke up." "Why would she run?" Jackson questioned. "Oh I don't know. Maybe that little fact that you were calling my name when you woke," he nearly laughed as he answered Jackson. No one said anything for a while, then O'Neill got up to leave, so Jackson could get some rest. "Hey Jack? If you run into Jessica, could you tell her I would like to see her?" "Sure Danny, no problem." O'Neill left the infirmary and went it search of the young woman.  
Jackson made himself comfortable, as comfortable as he could get. He was starting to feel the bruises that covered most of his chest, stomach, hip, and face. He closed his eyes to attempt to get some rest. However, he kept thinking of Swenson. Wondering why she had left when he woke up. Sure, he had called out for Jack, but that was only natural. He always did that after waking up after an injury. Jack was after all his best and closest friend. They were like brother. He wondered why she had even spent all that time sitting by his side. Usually, that was Jack's job. Maybe she had some interest in him after all. On the other hand, was she just putting on a show for Jack? With all those thoughts rushing through his mind, he drifted off to sleep.

O'Neill went to the linguistics department to tell Swenson to go see Jackson in the infirmary. However, she was not there. No one there had seen her all day, except for briefly in the corridor outside the infirmary, earlier in the day. Since she had left the infirmary, no one seems to have seen her. He then went to Carter's lab, maybe she would know where Swenson had to. However, again he was disappointed. The young woman was nowhere to be found. O'Neill decided to give up the search for now, and headed to his office to do some much needed paperwork. They were still getting their downtime, and he really needed to get a few things out of the way before he could leave for his extended weekend. He was debating with himself if he should cancel the camp trip this weekend, or if they should postpone it until Jackson could join them. He would need to speak with the others before making that decision.

As soon as Swenson had left the infirmary, she had gone straight to the general's office to ask for the rest of the day off, and to ask if he could have someone take her home. She didn't have her car at the mountain as she had gone to the hospital with O'Neill. She was exhausted. Spending the night half asleep on the couch, and then all the excitement of the morning had taken it's toll on her. This whole deal had struck just a little too close to home for her. It brought back so many bad memories. While she had sat by Jackson's side in the infirmary, she had prayed and prayed for him. However, several times it had been her late husband and son who had occupied her mind. It was as if she had felt them both there, yet the man in the infirmary bed had been Jackson. She didn't know what to make of it all. Right now, all she wanted was to get a shower and then some sleep. She would call O'Neill later and tell him that she would need to cancel their weekend plans. She just did not feel at all like socializing. After she had heard Jackson call for O'Neill when he had awoken, there was no doubt in her mind that they were a couple. She decided that she needed to find her own place to live and as quickly as possible. She just could not stay with Jackson while her feelings were so out of control. She was now certain that she was in love with him. Moreover, she knew it would tear her heart apart watching O'Neill and Jackson together. She needed to get away.

O'Neill had finished as much of the paperwork as he could. It was hard to concentrate on doing actual work when his best friend was laid up in the infirmary. Even though he knew his friend was going to be all right, his mind still kept drifting. He decided to call it a day, and was going to go spend some time with Jackson. After that he would go find Carter and Teal'c to tell them that he thought it best that they cancel their weekend plans. Before he left his office, he made a quick call to Jackson's house to find out if by any chance Swenson had gone home. He was in luck, after the third ring, the phone was picked up. He heard a very sleepy Swenson on the other end. He told her that he had been looking for her, because Jackson had asked to see her. He also told her that he was canceling the weekend plans. He wasn't quite sure if she had heard him, as the only response he got from her was grunts. O'Neill thought she sounded just like Jackson when he was woken from a dead sleep. He chuckled a little, and told her to go back to bed.  
When he arrived in the infirmary, he found a very irritated Jackson waiting for him. "Do you realize how annoying it is to sit here all day with nothing to do and no one to speak with?" Jackson asked before O'Neill had even made it to his bedside. "And why didn't you tell Jessica that I needed to see her?" "Yes, Danny, I am fully aware of how this place can be annoying, and I didn't tell Jessie, because I was unable to locate her all day. I just talked to her on the phone, although I doubt she will remember that when she wakes up. She went home after she left here when you woke up." O'Neill tried his hardest not to sound annoyed. He was fully aware of how much Jackson hated that place, and despite the fact that everyone loved him; they could not wait to get him out of there. He was a lousy patient. "There is a reason why sick people are called patients, Danny. Be patient and you will soon be out of here." Just then, Janet walked in. "Please, Janet. Let me go home. I promise to be good. I am fine, I swear." Jackson was pleading, and O'Neill was betting it was not the first time that day, that Jackson was using his puppy dog eyes and the pouting lip. Moreover, he guessed that it would not be the last time either. Luckily, for Janet, the bruised face didn't have the effect that it usually did. Jackson couldn't quite get the batting eyelashes and the lip to work in his favor. O'Neill tried his best not to laugh at the pathetic sight. Janet just shook her head and walked right out of there. "I'll tell you what, give me half an hour and I will be back to keep you company for a while. Would you like that?" O'Neill asked, hoping that a little company would cheer up his friend. "Yeah, whatever," Jackson replied as he settle back in his pillows and closed his eyes. "All righty then, I shall return," O'Neill said as he headed out of the room.

O'Neill went first to Carter's lab, certain that the scientist was still there. Surprisingly, she was not. He was told that she had left only minutes earlier to go home. So O'Neill made a mental note to call her before going back to the infirmary and then he walked off to speak with Teal'c. As he arrived at Teal'c's quarters, he gently knocked on the door and quickly received an "Enter!" from a muffled voice from inside the room. As he opened the door, he saw both Teal'c and Janet sitting on the edge of the bed. Janet's hair was a little ruffled, and it did not take a genius to guess what had been going on. "Am I interrupting something?" he asked with a serious face. Anyone who knew him could tell from his eyes that inside he was getting a good hearty laugh. Janet's face turned bright red, which just added to the humor of the situation. "Not at all, O'Neill," Teal'c answered, "How may we be of assistance?" he continued, not even attempting to explain why O'Neill had found Janet in Teal'c's quarters. "Well, big guy, I just wanted to let you know that I have cancelled our trip this weekend. I didn't feel we should go through it with Daniel in the infirmary." O'Neill said. "Indeed," was the very short and precise answer he got from Teal'c. "Well, I will leave you two alone. Carry on with whatever you were doing," O'Neill said as he turned to leave. Before he turned and walked out the door, he did notice a look on both their faces. He wasn't quite sure what it was. Relief? Were they relived to get rid of him? On the other hand, were they relieved that no one was going away for the weekend? Probably both. He had known for quite some time now about their relationship, but he got such a kick out of pretending that he didn't. He was certain that Teal'c was aware that he knew, but Janet probably didn't have a clue. And he so enjoyed surprising her when she least expected it. Finding her in Teal'c's quarters was just a plus. That should throw her off for a little while. He had arrived at his office and made a quick phone call to Carter, but unfortunately, he only got her voicemail. Damn machines. He left her a message and then headed to the infirmary to keep his favorite archaeologist company. 


	10. Chapter 10

Part 10

Carter had called Swenson before leaving the mountain. The first time she didn't get through, but she had waited a couple of minutes to try again. She talked with Swenson only for a minute but could clearly hear in the young woman's voice that she wasn't doing well. So she decided that she should go see her. She had then told Swenson that she would be leaving the SGC shortly and that she would be stopping by to hang out for a while. She told her that since Daniel and Jack would probably be staying at the SGC at least until the following day, Daniel in the infirmary and Jack in his personal quarters, she thought that it would be a good time for some girl bonding. Swenson had reluctantly agreed, she had felt that she really wanted to be alone, but Carter had insisted.

As soon as Carter had ended the phone call, Swenson got up to get yet another shower. Trying to wake up a bit before her guest would arrive. With a towel wrapped around her hair, she put on a tank top and sweatpants, and went to the kitchen to start a pot of coffee. She made a quick phone call to the SGC infirmary and talked to a nurse about the status of Daniel Jackson. She didn't want to speak with him, just needed to know when she might expect him home. Then she went to relax on the couch awaiting the arrival of Samantha Carter. 

Carter pulled into the driveway, got out of her car, and then opened her passenger door to retrieve the bags of groceries she had bought on her way. She had several bags, but managed to get them all positioned in her arms and then walked to the front door. Unable to use her hands to knock, she gave the door a little tap with her foot. Swenson heard the tap and went to look through the peek hole and immediately saw Carter with her arms full. She opened the door to let in her new friend, and rescued a couple of the bags before they hit the floor. They put the bags on the breakfast bar and gave each other a small hug. Carter couldn't help but notice that Swenson looked even worse than she had earlier in the day in the infirmary. "Are you okay?" she asked as she went to unpack all the bags. "Sure, I am fine. Just been one hell of a day," Swenson replied while she helped Carter with the groceries. "You know, I have a friend who always says he is fine, and that is usually an indication that he is not," Carter said with a smile. "I got us alcohol, ice cream, chocolate, and tons of other sweets. Let's take this to the living room and we can get to know each other." Carter proceeded to pull some wine coolers, a bottle of Bailey's, a couple of beers from the refrigerator. "I wasn't sure what you like, so I got a few different things. Hope this is okay. What kind of ice cream do you like?" Carter said as she pulled a couple of pint size ice cream containers from the freezer. "Rocky Road or Cherry Chocolate Chip?" Swenson indicated that she preferred the triple C. They went to the living room and got comfortable on the couch.

O'Neill was again seated next to his friend's bed in the infirmary. This time Teal'c had joined him, and together they watched the sleeping figure of Jackson. He had finally fallen asleep shortly after O'Neill had left earlier. The two could tell that it was a restless sleep, probably do to the pain from all the bruises that were decorating his body. They tried their best to be quiet, but Jackson soon started to wake up. "Jack?" was again the first word crossing Jackson's lips. Teal'c left the room to tell Janet that the patient had awoken again. "Yes, buddy, I am right here. Do you feel any better?" O'Neill said getting up from his chair to stand at the side of the bed. "No… No my head still hurts like crazy." "That sucks. Teal'c went to get Doc; maybe she can give you something to help you out." O'Neill said. "I am sure she will be more than happy to give you a shot using a big needle," he added with a big grin. Jackson just groaned, frustrated that the headache just didn't want to let up. They sat in silence for a little while, until Janet walked in followed by Teal'c. "So how's the not-so-patient patient doing?" Janet asked as she pulled out the penlight and shone it into Jackson's eyes. "I would do a lot better if you would stop doing that and let me go home," a very annoyed Jackson replied. "I'm fine, really I'm fine," Jackson tried to put on a smile, but his bruised face just made him hurt that much more, and he made a grimace and let out a small groan. "Yeah, you sure sound fine to me," Janet said, trying to be serious, but couldn't help a chuckle escaping. "You will be staying here until at least tomorrow. Do you want something for the pain?" she asked. "No, I'm fine and ready to go home," Jackson put on a brave smile, despite the pain. "Yes he does want something for the pain. Daniel, just give it up." O'Neill interrupted.

Janet left to get some painkillers, and left the three men alone. They did some small talk for a little while until Janet returned with the pills. Jackson took them without resisting. Even he knew that he would be better off just doing as he was told. "I need to go check on my other patients. Gentlemen, don't stay too long," she said with a hint of warning, as she left the room.

The men were again left on their own, and small talk ensued. The conversation soon fell on Teal'c's new hobby. Both Jackson and O'Neill tried to hide their amusement when he announced that he found the Tau'ri board games fascinating. He told his friends how he had discovered these board games through an online website called Yahoo! Games, and that he had indeed enjoyed it so much so he had purchased several games through online shopping. He politely asked the two, now very amused men, if they would be interested in partaking in playing a game. They agreed that it could be fun and a great way of spending some of the evening together. Teal'c got up and with a slight nod; he left the room to go retrieve the game he had in mind.

A few minutes later, Teal'c returned with a box perched on one hand. He proceeded to set up the game on the over-the-bed table. As soon as O'Neill and Jackson saw which game they had agreed to play, they both burst out laughing. "Candyland Teal'c? Candyland?" O'Neill asked the now slightly confused Teal'c. "Yes O'Neill. Candyland promotes thinking as well as patience in the form of waiting one's turn to play. By playing games with others, you are encouraged to socially interact in a more controlled manner, which helps develop character for future endeavors." Teal'c replied without even blinking, "This seems to amuse you. Why?" he then asked. This time it was Jackson who replied; "Candyland is considered a game for small children, preschoolers, and it is usually not a game that adults play alone without the participation of children. However, who's to say we can't change that. Over the Rainbow Trail and through the Lollipop Woods … to candyland we go," with that the three men engaged in a heated game of candy land.

Carter and Swenson were both on the couch, each with a drink and a pint of ice cream. Until now, they had just been talking about trivial things such as their colleagues at the SGC, previous job, and travel experiences. However, Carter knew that she would need to start prodding to get the younger woman to open up. "So what do you think of Daniel?" she asked with a deliberate grin on her face. She couldn't help notice the deep red blush spreading rapidly across Swenson's face and neck. "Umm… he is a brilliant scientist," Swenson answered, trying not to reveal her true feelings. "Uh huh, so you haven't noticed that he is stunningly good looking, not to mention one of the kindest men around?" Carter said, letting a small laugh escape. "Sure I have, but I also know that it would take a lot more than little me to make him switch sides," Swenson replied with a straight face. "W-what?" Carter attempted to say, but had a hard time as most of her drink was making passage through her nose. She somewhat regained some composure, and asked her friend again what she had meant. "Well, it doesn't take a genius to see that Daniel and Jack are together… as in an intimate relationship… a couple." Swenson said, still being one hundred percent serious. "Oh my God… You think they are gay?" Carter first blushed and then just as fast all color left her face. "Well, FYI… they are both very much straight," Carter continued "They both like women… A lot." Color was back in her cheek and she started to giggle again. Swenson was blushing even more than before at this revelation. She was immensely embarrassed, but at least neither of the two men knew about her misconception of their relationship. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to laugh," Carter said, "I know why you would think they were gay. They are best friends, and do spend most of their time together, both at work and on their free time away from the mountain." Swenson felt a little better now knowing this, but she had made up her mind. She could not get involved with Jackson. Even though she knew she had fallen in love with the man.

The two women continued to talk about Jackson, and Carter soon realized that there was something else she needed to know. She sensed that Swenson was interested in Jackson, but she had made it clear, that she was not going to get involved with him. Swenson had expressed that there were skeletons in her closet that wouldn't allow her to pursue a relationship with the archaeologist. She had not offered any details, but had made it clear that she wasn't emotionally strong enough to get involved with him. Carter was curious, however, she decided to let it go, at least for now.

A/N: I need reviews. Reviews are my insentive to continue this story. So please please tell if you like it or not. Yes, I am begging. I really really would like to know if I should bother continue, or if I should just quit writing right now.

Thank you to those of you who have already reviewed my story:  
starjems88 CosmicGibby Aryanna1985 


	11. Chapter 11

That night Jessica was lying awake long before sleep finally overtook her. Thoughts of Daniel Jackson, her late husband and baby boy, her new life in Colorado Springs, all went through her head. All was a big jumble of mixed emotions, thoughts of past happiness and sorrows. How did she think she could start a new life? Memories do not go away just because you relocate. How could she move on? Life was nothing more than a heavy burden that she felt she had to carry all by herself. Was it all really worth it? With these dark thoughts moving through her head, she finally fell asleep. It was a restless sleep, yet it was more rest than she had had lately. The dreams haunted her. Dreams of a life that should have been.

After only a few minutes into Candyland Daniel started to nod. Jack and Teal'c knew that the painkillers that Janet had given to Daniel, were starting to kick in. Their favorite archeologist would soon be leaving Candyland and drift into dreamland. And dream he would. Too many things had happened in such a short time span. He had been alone, fallen in love, been lost and found, and close to losing his best friend. And then, just as quickly, everything was back to where it was before. Except of course the little fact that he was still in love, still in the infirmary, and still very much alone. Daniel was dreaming of Sha're. How quickly things had happened then. Life is so fragile. He was tossing and turning and his temperature was rising.

"Daniel? Daniel, wake up. You are dreaming." had been dozing off in his chair next to Daniel's bed and had been pulled from his light sleep by Daniel's tossing and turning. O'Neill's encouragement did not wake up the dreaming man, but rather it seemed to pull him further into his dreams.

Suddenly, with a startle, Daniel sat up in his bed. Looked around, wondered where he was. "Jack?" "Shh, it's okay, you had a dream. Go back to sleep, I am right here, if you need me."

Daniel got back under his covers and tried to sleep, but his head was too full of thoughts. Jessica, Sha're, Jack, the child Sha're had carried. The one that should have been his, but wasn't. Would he ever be a father now? Would he want to? He thought about how easy it was to move on with life, when work and friends distracted him from his own memories. But when night came, and he was alone with his thoughts, it was all clear how hard life had become. Was it all really worth it? Finally sleep took hold of him. But once again it was the same. Dreams that he would rather do without. Dreams that visited him every night. Dreams of what should have been.

Morning couldn't come soon enough.

Morning in the infirmary was when nurses and doctors started to move around. Being under ground there were no windows for light to shine through. So when the personnel started to move around is when the day started. Daniel was pulled from his sleep by a nurse checking his pulse and then the dreaded penlight shone into his eyes. One hell of a way to start your day. O'Neill was still in his chair next to the bed. Snoring. "Jack! Jack, wake up! Get my clothes, I'm out of here." "Wha.. Danny, settle down, you are going nowhere until Janet gets here." O'Neill was barely awake and trying to prevent Daniel from jumping out of his bed. "Jack, you don't get it. If I leave before she gets here she can't stop me!" Jack couldn't help laughing. He was wondering how long Daniel had been, thinking out his little escape plan. Although it was a good one, and one that Jack himself was likely to use in the future he just couldn't help Daniel this time. After rubbing the sleep from his eyes he had gotten a good look at Daniels face and he wasn't so sure Daniel was going anywhere. One eye was still swollen shut, there was hardly any surface that wasn't black, purple, or blue, and there was no way Daniel was wearing glasses any time soon. The cut across his nose was still looking rather bad, and his face was just too swollen and beat up to accommodate glasses.

"Danny, please, let's… Let's wait for Janet. If she lets you go I will get you some clothes and take you home. But, jeez, Danny, you just haven't seen your face." O'Neill was kind of shook to see the extent of the injuries to Daniels face. Sure he had seen it the day before, but the second day just seemed to be so much worse. The pretty face was nowhere to be seen. The whole shape had changed and you couldn't even see a smidge of his normal skin color. Daniel started to fidget, reaching for the bedside table, but due to the pains across the chest he quickly leaned back into the bed. Just then Dr. Janet walked through the door. She saw the signs of pain in Daniels one open eye. "How's our not so patient patient doing today?" Daniels just sighed because he knew that it didn't matter one bit what he said. O'Neill took it upon himself to be Daniels spokesperson and told Janet that Daniel seemed to think it was time to go home. The two discussed it back and forth while Daniel closed his eye and blocked out the sound of the battling parties. He already knew the end result so why bother. "Okay, Danny, let's get you home then." Daniel's eyes shot open which cause an unbelievable pain to shoot through his entire face. "What? She is letting me go? Now?" Daniel couldn't hide his surprise. Now he kinda wished he had paid attention so he knew how Jack had convinced the doctor. But he certainly wasn't going to argue it now. Better to get out of there before Janet could change her mind.

"While Janet talks with you, I will find you some clothes." With that Jack left, leaving Daniel alone with the dictator.

"I am going to write you a prescription on anti-biotics, and some painkillers. You must take them as directed. No skipping doses, and you must finish the whole lot. I can't with good conscience let you stay at your house by yourself, so either you go with Jack to his house or he stays with you at yours. Do not let him leave you alone. You were unconscious for hours, and you were beat up badly. You need someone to keep an eye on you for at least the next 3 days. I will check on you." Janet looked at Daniel to make sure he was listening. Daniel just kept nodding as if he was clinging to every word, but Janet was pretty sure he was just doing so, so she wouldn't change her mind. Just as she was rethinking her decision, O'Neill walked through the door with a bundle of clothes clutched in his arms. She was sure that if Daniel could have he would have leapt out of the hospital bed.

While Daniel slowly got into his clean clothes, Janet took O'Neill aside and repeated the discharge instructions again. Jack agreed to stay with Daniel at his house until she had relieved him of his duties. With a "get well" hug from Janet, Daniel left with the help of Jack. He was very sore, so he welcomed the support from his friend. Soon he would be home in his own house, where he could relax without worry.

Daniel almost smiled. Then suddenly he remembered "Wait! Is Jessica at my house?"


	12. Chapter 12

Part 12

_Daniel almost smiled. Then suddenly he remembered "Wait! Is Jessica at my house?"_

"I don't know Danny, but she does live there so it might be a possibility." Jack answered. With that the two men made their way topside to get to Jack's truck. Jack helped Daniel get comfortable in the truck, Or at least as comfortable as the beat up man could get. And they drove off towards Daniel's house. "Jack, maybe we should stay at your place?" Daniel said shortly after leaving base. "Why? We might as well, stay at your place." jack answered, "That way you wont be alone while I go to the pharmacy to get your stuff." "True." Daniel replied, sat back and closed his eyes. Jack let the younger man rest until they arrived at the house. He gently shook Daniel's arm to wake him up. Daniel awoke with a start and soon regretted it as his body tensed and every muscles and bone hurt like never before. He couldn't get to his bedroom to lie down soon enough. Jack held Daniel under one arm to help support him and together they moved towards the house.

The driveway was empty, and Daniel drew a breath of relief when he realized that he didn't have to face the woman just yet. When they got into the house Daniel aimed straight for the bedroom. Jack just followed to help Daniel to bed as soon as they got into the master suite. As soon as Daniel was down on his back he drew a breath and closed his eyes. Jack quietly went to the kitchen where he grabbed a beer and sat down to relax. Not much time passed before he heard a stir by the front door and he knew that Jessica was home. Jack went into the living room to greet the younger woman. She met him with a smile; "Hi Colonel, I saw your truck in the driveway, where is Daniel?" Jack grabbed a couple of the well overstuffed grocery back she was balancing in her arms and while the went to the kitchen he explained that Daniel was asleep in his room. She seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, but the colonel just left it at that.

After then had put the groceries away Jack asked for Jessica to stay at the house while he ran to the pharmacy to get the anti-biotic and painkillers the doctor had prescribed for Daniel.

While Jack was gone, Jessica started fixing some dinner for them. Since Daniel was now home she decided on an easy stew. Something easy for her to cook and for Daniel to chew. The heat of the food might do him some good. She had barely gotten the pot on the stove when she was startled by Daniel starring at her from the doorway. "Daniel, you shouldn't be out of bed!" She exclaimed, moving to his side to help him sit down at the breakfast bar.. "If I wanted to stay in bed, I might as well have stayed at the infirmary." He grunted, not very friendly. He immediately regretted his gruff demeanor when he saw how she literally pulled away from him. "I'm sorry," He reached out for her, but she had already moved to far away. "I didn't mean to act like a grumpy old man." She didn't say anything, she didn't know what to say. "I am sorry about everything!" He tried again. Finally she started to turn towards him and she started to open her mouth to answer when she was saved by the sound of Jack by the front door.

The three of them enjoyed dinner together. After about an hour of small talk Daniel was ready for bed again. Jack helped getting him his medicine and then off to bed. Jessica cleaned the kitchen and then went to her room to do a bit of unpacking. When Daniel was tucked in Jack settled down on the couch and watch some TV.

Sunday and Monday went by quietly. Daniel spent most of his time in bed, only getting up to use the bathroom, and going to the kitchen to eat. Monday Jessica went back to work and was gone all day, and in the evenings she was in her room unpacking and putting away her things. Jack watched TV most of the day, fixed breakfast and lunch for himself and Daniel, and dinner for the three in the evenings. Everything was quiet and Daniel was healing quickly.

By Monday evening Daniel was starting to get restless, and he claimed he was ready to go back to work Tuesday morning. Janet was called in to check if Daniel was in fact ready for work. Janet arrived and looked archaeologist. She checked all his bruises and cuts, but by the end of her check-up she told her patient that she felt he needed a few more days at home. She did permit him to work a couple of hours each day, if he promised to do it from the couch and that he didn't stress himself. After a few minutes of whining Daniel finally agreed to take it easy at home. He phoned Sam, who were still at the base to have her bring his laptop and several books and scripts from his office. Janet, Jack, and Jessica were all shaking their heads as their friend rattled off his list of books over the phone. Considering the length of the list they all knew that he wouldn't get as much rest as the doctor had prescribed.

Tuesday morning came and Jessica and Jack both left for the mountain leaving Daniel by himself at the house. As soon as they were out the door Daniel breathed a sigh of relief. "Finally! The baby-sitters are out of my hair. Maybe I can get some work done now." He went to the living room to go through the several boxes of books and papers Sam had brought by the house the night before. he booted up his laptop and made himself comfortable on the couch. Before he knew it the day was about gone. He hadn't even noticed lunch coming and going. Now he only reacted because his stomach made a loud growl. "Wow, time sure flies when one has fun." Daniel thought to himself as he got up from the couch to go the kitchen to see what he could fix for dinner. Going through the fridge and cabinets he settled on chicken with rice and vegetables. he checked the time and realized that it was almost time for Jessica to get back from work, so he decided to cook enough for both of them. Just as he was done cooking their dinner and setting the table, Jessica walked through the door.

After dinner they helped each other clear off the table and do the dishes. There were still a lot of tension between the two, but it seemed that both were determined to work through it. While washing the dishes they fingers would once in a while brush against the others and they both felt the electricity course through their bodies. Both pretended as if nothing had happened.

The spent the evening watching a documentary on the History channel, although Daniel had a hard time concentrating. He couldn't keep his eyes off of the woman seated next to him. She caught him looking a few times, but instead of getting angry or asking him what he was looking at she just smiled and turned back to watch the TV. "What is he looking at? Do I have something on my face?" Jessica couldn't help to think. She felt it a little unnerving that the man next to her who had shown no interest in her suddenly kept starring at her.

Daniel felt something stirring deep inside him. He knew she wasn't interested in him, but the smile she sent him when ever she turned to look at him was stunning and it was dragging him into a place he hadn't been for a long while. Not since before Sha're was ripped from his life bu Apophis. No one but Sha're had ever had that effect on him. It was like his insides were on fire. "Was Jessica interested after all?"

Their show had ended but neither reacted to get up, or to change the channel. They both just continued watching. Neither registering what they were watching. Finally, Jessica gave a small yawn. "Well, it has been a long day, so I better head to bed." She said as she stood to move out of the room. Daniel lost in his own thoughts, jumped at her voice, but quickly got up to walk towards his own bedroom. Silently they walked down the hallway. When they stopped to enter their respective rooms, Daniel reached out and pulled Jessica in for an embrace. Both equally stunned at his actions. No way back, Daniel whispered a thank you in her ear. Neither wanted to let go. Both knew that this was exactly what they didn't want, but they also know that this is exactly what they both had hoped for. Without thinking Daniel bent down and gently brushed his lips against hers. At first Jessica resisted slightly, but soon she was as engaged in the kiss as Daniel was. Daniel gently ran his tongue along Jessica's lower lip, silently asking for entry. Jessica didn't hesitate to allow Daniel passage. The kiss got more intense. Warmer. Heated. Daniel pulled out of the kiss first. Looked the young woman in the eyes, smiled and whispered "Good night."


End file.
